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Quantitative biology to molecular mechanisms – Course and Conference Office

EMBL Conference

Quantitative biology to molecular mechanisms

Overview

This conference will take place at EMBL Heidelberg, with the option to attend virtually and is being organised by EMBL with generous support from the Bayer Foundation

Conference overview

Recent decades have witnessed a profound transformation in molecular biology research, fueled by revolutionary technologies that have greatly enhanced our ability to systematically and quantitatively measure biological molecules. The use of genomics, proteomics, and imaging have become routine, generating vast amounts of high-resolution data that characterise biological systems across multiple scales, ranging from molecules to organisms. This technological leap allows us to describe biological systems in quantitative terms with unprecedented resolution and provides a solid foundation for formulating mechanistic models that elucidate the intricacies of biological functions.

‘Quantitative biology to molecular mechanisms’ (formerly ‘From functional genomics to systems biology’) aims to bridge the gap between technologies and scales, serving as a platform for the emergence of ideas and concepts to model complex biological systems. Leaders in genomics, functional proteomics, quantitative imaging, microscopy, and theory will gather to discuss their data and models, transcending their respective fields of expertise. The meeting will be bridging three interconnected themes where systems level approaches in molecular biology research are transforming our understanding of biological systems.

A large fraction of the talks (>20) will be selected from abstracts with a priority for early stage researchers.

Session topics

  • Systems to function
  • Systems to molecular mechanisms
  • Systems to disease

Speakers

Speakers

Luca Giorgetti

Friedrich Miescher Institute for

Biomedical Research

Switzerland

Denes Hnisz

Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics

Germany

Fan Liu

Leibniz FMP Berlin

Germany

Scientific organisers

Conference organiser

Inna Bösselmann

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Preliminary programme

  • Are you on social media? Post using #EMBLOmics and don’t forget to tag @EMBLEvents.
  • Please note that the programme is subject to change. Some speakers may need to join virtually to give their talk.
  • For registered participants, recorded talks will be accessible on demand for 2 weeks after the end of the event, unless indicated otherwise.
Day 1 – Tuesday 19 November
TimeSpeaker
12:15 – 13:45Registration and light refreshments
13:45 – 14:00Opening remarks by Arnaud Krebs and Mikhail Savitski
14:00 – 15:30Systems to function – Segment 1
Chair: Mikhail Savitski – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
14:00 – 14:25Lacramioara Bintu – Stanford University, USA
14:25 – 14:45Selected short talk #1
14:45 – 15:05Selected short talk #2
15:05 – 15:30James Hackett – EMBL Rome, Italy
15:30 – 15:50Selected short talk #3
15:50 – 16:10Selected short talk #4
16:10 – 16:40Coffee break and meet the speakers
16:40 – 17:05Mikko Taipale – University of Toronto, Canada
17:05 – 17:25Selected short talk #5
17:25 – 17:50Kathryn Lilley – University of Cambridge, UK
17:50 – 18:10Selected short talk #6

18:10 – 19:10
Panel discussion 1
Challenges of applying quantitative approaches in
biology
19:10 – 20:30Dinner in canteen
20:30 – 21:30After dinner drinks in ATC Rooftop lounge
21:30Shuttles to hotels
Day 2 – Wednesday 20 November
TimeSpeaker
09:00 – 11:00 Systems to function – Segment 2
Chair: Mikko Taipale – University of Toronto, Canada
09:00 – 09:25Alexander Van Oudenaarden – Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands
09:25 – 09:45Selected short talk #7
09:45 – 10:05Selected short talk #8
10:05 – 10:30Fan Liu – Leibniz Institute FMP Berlin, Germany
10:30 – 11:00Coffee break and meet the speakers
11:00 – 11:25Mo Khalil – Boston University, USA
11:25 – 11:45Selected short talk #9
11:45 – 12:05Selected short talk #10
12:05 – 12:30Tineke Lenstra – Netherlands Cancer Institute, The Netherlands
EMBO YIP lecture
12:30 – 13:15Hike in the woods
12:30 – 14:00Lunch
14:00 – 15:30Systems to molecular mechanism – Segment 1
Chair: Arnaud Krebs – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
14:00 – 14:25Ben Lehner – Sanger Institute, UK
14:25 – 14:45Selected short talk #11
14:45 – 15:05Selected short talk #12
15:05 – 15:30Joanna Jachowicz – IMBA Vienna, Austria
15:30 – 15:50Selected short talk #13
16:00 – 18:00Poster session 1 (odd numbers)
18:00 – 19:00Panel discussion 2:
Pivoting your research topic/field for/during a postdoc
19:00 – 21:30Dinner & pub quiz in EMBL Canteen
21:30Shuttles to hotels
Day 3 – Thursday 21 November
TimesSpeaker
09:00 – 11:00 Systems to molecular mechanism – Segment 2
Chair: Lacramioara Bintu – Stanford University, USA
09:00 – 09:30Xiaowei Zhuang – Harvard University, Boston, USA
09:30 – 09:50Selected short talk #14
09:50 – 10:10Selected short talk #15
10:10 – 10:30Anders Sejr Hansen – MIT, Boston, USA
10:30 – 11:00Coffee break and meet the speaker
11:00 – 11:25Luca Giorgetti – FMI Basel, Switzerland
11:25 – 11:45Selected short talk #16
11:45 – 12:05Selected short talk #17
12:05 – 12:30Anne Claude Gingras – University of Toronto, Canada
12:30 – 13:30Lunch
13:30 – 15:30Systems to disease – Segment 1
Chair: Tineke Lenstra (NKI Amsterdam)
13:30 – 13:55Single-cell Phenoscaping of Tumour Microenvironment Organoids
Chris Tape – University College London, UK
13:55 – 14:15Selected short talk #18
14:15 – 14:35Selected short talk #19
14:35 – 15:00Celine Vallot – Institute Cure, Paris, France
15:00 – 15:30Coffee break and meet the speaker
15:30 – 17:30Poster session 2 (even numbers)
17:30 – 18:30Panel discussion 3:
Breathing life into innovation through start-ups
18:30 – 20:30Conference dinner
EMBL Canteen
20:30 – 00:00Conference party with DJ
ATC Rooftop Lounge
Day 4 – Friday 22 November
09:00 – 12:30 Systems to disease – Segment 2
Chair: Tineke Lenstra – NKI Amsterdam, Netherland
09:30 – 09:55Transcriptional condensates
Denes Hnisz – MPI Molecular Genetics, Germany
09:55 – 10:15Selected short talk #20
10:15 – 10:35Selected short talk #21
10:35 – 11:00Nicolai Slavov – Northeastern University, USA
11:00 – 11:25Hartland Jackson – LTRI, Toronto, Canada
11:25 – 11:45Poster prize and closing remarks
11:45 – 12:30Packed lunch and departure
12:30Optional: Shuttle bus to Frankfurt Airport (Terminal 1)
Tickets can be purchased on-site during the conference

Practical information

Registration fees and abstract submission

Registration

On-site registration fees include admission, conference materials, COVID-19 safety measures, meals and coffee breaks. Participants are expected to book and pay their own accommodation and travel expenses.

On-site Academia€550
On-site PhD Student€350
On-site Industry€750
On-site EMBL staff/press€300
Virtual Academia€200
Virtual PhD Student€150
Virtual Industry€275

Virtual registration fees include access to all of the talks (live-streamed and on demand) and facility to submit questions.

NO visa support letters will be issued until payment of the registration fee is confirmed.

Accredited journalists may be eligible to register for complimentary press registration. Registrants may be required to provide accreditation or equivalent proof of press membership after registration. Please contact Raili Pall for more information. Please note that we do not offer complimentary registrations for editors of scientific journals.

Confirmation and payment

Registration will be on a first-come first-served basis. Your place can only be confirmed after payment of the registration fee. If you are added to our waiting list, please consider taking advantage of our offerings to participate virtually.

On-site participants: Types of payments accepted are international bank transfers and credit card payments.

Virtual participants: We are only able to accept card payments. In exceptional cases we can accept bank transfers. Please contact events@embl.de for details.

Abstract submission

Only registered participants attending the on-site event are eligible to submit an abstract. Abstracts will not be accepted from virtual participants.

After you have logged in and successfully registered, you will receive an email asking you to submit your abstract.  Click on the link provided and enter your abstract in the text box provided. Alternatively you can submit your abstract by clicking on the link on the confirmation page directly after registering. The same login credentials are used for both processes.

Please note:

Title: The title should not exceed 20 words. Only the first word of the title should start with a capital letter and the rest of the title should be in lowercase.

Authors and affiliations: Please fill in the author’s details as requested in the online form. The compulsory details are: First Name, Last Name, Organisation Name (Affiliation or Company), Country and Email. Mark only one author as the role of First author and please don’t forget to indicate who will be presenting. The order of the authors will be listed as follows: First Author, Co-First Author (alphabetically if multiple), co-author(s) (in the order added by the submitter).

Presentation types: When submitting your abstract, you can apply for an oral or poster presentation. A selection process will take place with the results announced 2-3 weeks after the abstract submission deadline.

Please check our FAQs pages for further information on how to submit an abstract.

Financial assistance

Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of both registration fee waivers and travel grants. Availability is limited to participants attending on-site events in Heidelberg and will be indicated during the abstract or motivation letter submission process.

Your place in the meeting is only confirmed by paying the registration fee, which is mandatory even when receiving a fee waiver.

Registration fee waiver

The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course or conference.

Travel grant

The travel grant will cover the cost of travel (airfare, train, bus, taxi, accommodation, visa, and/or registration fees*) and is provided up to specified caps which are normally as follows:

– up to €400 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course, EMBL Conference or EMBO|EMBL Symposium from within Europe.


– up to €1000 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course, EMBL Conference or EMBO|EMBL Symposium from outside Europe.


– up to €500 for any participant travelling to an EMBO Practical Course or EMBO Workshop.


– up to €1000 for any participant working in Chile, India, Singapore or Taiwan travelling to an EMBO Practical Course or EMBO Workshop.

*Registration fees are only covered for EMBO Practical Courses or EMBO Workshops

The organisers may reduce the grant cap to accommodate more participants. Recipients will be notified of their travel cap amount when they are informed of the outcome of their application. Original receipts must be provided with your signature for all costs incurred within two months of completion of travel. Scanned copies cannot be accepted.

Childcare grant (EMBO practical courses and workshops only)

For EMBO Practical Course or EMBO Workshop participants with children, there is the possibility to apply for a childcare grant to offset child care costs incurred by participants or speakers when participating at a course or conference. Eligible costs include fees for a baby-sitter or child-care facility, travel costs for a care giver, or travel costs for taking the child to the meeting etc. Please note that priority will be given to early stage researchers. A maximum amount of 500 EUR can be awarded per participant applying for an EMBO Childcare Grant. In order to apply for this grant for EMBO Workshops, you must be registered by the abstract submission deadline.

Application

You may apply for financial assistance when submitting your motivation letter for courses, and abstract for conferences. In your application you will be asked to answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.

Selection

The scientific organisers will select the recipients of all financial assistance during the motivation letter or abstract selection process. Results will be announced approximately 6-8 weeks before the event start date, however for some events this may be delayed. Selection results do not impact your admission to the meeting. Selection is based on your current work or study location, the reasons for needing financial support and the impact this event will have on your career.

Reimbursement

Costs will be reimbursed after the meeting only once a reimbursement form and original receipts (from travel costs) have been received.

Further details

View our list of external funding opportunities and information on attending a conference as an event reporter.

For further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.

Accommodation and travel

Accommodation is not included in the conference registration fee.

As further changes in our events are possible due to COVID-19, you should book flights, trains and hotels with flexible options and favourable cancellation conditions.

The hotels below have rooms on hold for participants until 18 October 2024, in some cases at special rates. Please quote the booking code OMX24-01 and confirm the exact price of the room with the hotel directly.

Hotel AnlageHotel ibis HeidelbergHotel Monpti
Hotel Bayrischer Hof ISG Hotel Staycity Aparthotel Heidelberg
B&B HotelLeonardo Hotel Heidelberg City CentreHilton Heidelberg
Exzellenz Hotel Meininger Heidelberg

Travel information

For travel information, please see here.

If you are travelling to the conference within Germany then you are eligible for the Deutsche Bahn ‘Event Ticket’ (called the ‘Veranstaltungsticket’ in German). This will result in a lower ticket price if your travel distance to Heidelberg is more than 100 km. You need to provide proof of your event attendance when purchasing the ticket.

For more information in English see here or in German see here.

You can book your ticket here.

Conference shuttle buses

Conference shuttle buses are free of charge for participants, and depart from designated bus stops near the hotels to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings.

Download the conference bus schedule here.

The bus stops for this conference are:

  • Staycity Aparthotel (Speyerer Str. 7)
  • Kurfürsten-Anlage (opposite Main Train Station)
  • Premier Inn Hotel (Kurfürsten-Anlage 23)
  • Leonardo Hotel City Centre (Bergheimer Str. 63)
  • Neckarmünzplatz (Heidelberg Tourist Information)
  • Peterskirche (Bus stop)
  • ISG Hotel

View Conference shuttle bus stops and hotels in a larger map. Please note that not every bus stop will be used for every event.

Further details

Address: EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.

For more information about accommodation and travel, please refer to the FAQ page.

On-site information

Catering

All meals and coffee breaks are included in the registration fee. Our catering staff will prepare a wide variety of vegetarian meals, meat and fish dishes, soups, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of desserts.

Please wear your badge at all times when serving yourself.

No food or drinks are allowed in the auditorium.

Charging lockers

There are lockers available next to the stairs leading down into the Auditorium. You will find some of those equipped with sockets to charge your smartphone/tablet etc.

Electricity and charging station

In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor and a plug that fits the German socket may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. American, Japanese, etc.). A USB charging station for electronic devices is available at the registration desk.

EMBL merchandise

If you are interested in purchasing EMBL merchandise (products presented in the glass display in the registration area), please email the EMBL shop to place an order or get in contact with your Course Organiser.

Kindly note the EMBL shop is only open upon request and all purchases must be made in cash (Euros only).

Health and safety notes

Please read EMBL’s COVID-19 safety policy for on-site events.
Do not smoke in any EMBL building.
Eating and drinking is prohibited in the Auditorium and all laboratories.
Do not enter any restricted areas or the laboratories unless instructed to do so.

If first aid is required …

  • The first aid room is located next to the ATC Registration Desk (room 10- 205).
  • Dial the Emergency number 222 from any EMBL internal phone only.
  • Where is the accident? What happened? How many injured?
  • Emergency number 06221-387 7821 from mobile phones.
  • Please report all accidents to the conference officer at the registration desk.

In case of fire …

  • Press the nearest fire alarm button or the Emergency number 222 from any internal phone.
  • A loud fire alarm will go off if an evacuation is required. On hearing the alarm leave the building immediately following the escape route and fire wardens and head to one of the meeting points
  • Do not use the lifts.

Beyond first aid…

Please remember to bring your own medication, if needed, to the conference. Note that the next pharmacy is a 4-minute drive from the EMBL, but for many medications you will be required to see a doctor to get a prescription.

Ensure in advance that your medical insurance will cover you during your visit in the event that you do need to see a doctor while in Heidelberg. In any case, the EMBL Course and Conference Office will assist you to get to the pharmacy and a doctor of your choice if necessary.

Internet

Wi-Fi is available everywhere on the premises (no password required), just log on to ATC-Guest. The eduroam network (secure, world-wide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community) is also available.

Lost and found

‘’Lost and Found’’ are kept at the registration desk until the end of the conference.

Luggage

There are lockers available on-site to store your luggage, which require a 2 EURO coin to operate. There is another luggage room on level E0, which is free to use but remains unlocked during the conference.

Nursing room

There is a nursing room available in the ATC Rooftop Lounge on level A29.

Photography

During the conference an EMBL Photographer may be taking photographs. If you would not like to appear in these, please inform the photographer or a member of the Course and Conference Office.

Printing

We can help printing your boarding passes/train ticket. Please send it to events@embl.de and collect your print-outs at the registration desk.

Room for prayer, yoga and meditation

There is a room for prayer, mediation and yoga located on level E0 behind the Auditorium. Please be respectful of other participants using the room.

Sightseeing

A variety of activities in Heidelberg can be found on the website of Heidelberg Marketing.

Travel to and from the venue

During the event we provide conference shuttle buses to and from EMBL. In addition, there is the public bus 39A that serves the EMBL campus and taxis can be easily booked at any time. Information on the conference shuttle buses can be found on the individual event website and more detailed information on travelling to EMBL can be found on our Travel Information page.

Useful German expressions

EnglishGerman
HelloHallo
GoodbyeAuf Wiedersehen
Good morningGuten Morgen
Good afternoonGuten Tag
Good eveningGuten Abend
Good nightGute Nacht
I’m sorryTut mir leid
Excuse me…Entschuldigen Sie
How are you?Wie geht’s?
I’m fine thanks. And you?Mir geht es gut , danke, und dir/Ihnen?
What is your nameWie heisst du? Wie heissen Sie?
My name isIch heisse
Do you speak EnglishSprechen Sie Englisch?
I don’t understandIch verstehe nicht
Please speak more slowlyKönnen Sie bitte langsamer sprechen
Thank youDanke schön
Where is the toilet?Wo ist die Toilette?
Please call me a taxiBitte rufen Sie mir ein Taxi
How do I get to….?Wie komme ich zum/zur…..?
A beer/two beers, pleaseEin Bier/zwei Bier bitte
A glass of red/white wine pleaseEin Glas Rot/Weisswein bitte
The menu, pleaseDie Speisekarte, bitte
Is there a local speciality?Gibt es eine Spezialität aus dieser Gegend?
I’m VegetarianIch bin Vegetarier
It was deliciousEs war hervorragend
The bill, pleaseDie Rechnung, bitte
I have a headacheIch habe Kopfschmerzen
I have a sore throatIch habe Halsschmerzen
My stomach hurtsIch habe Magenschmerzen
I’m allergic toIch bin allergisch gegen
I need a doctor who speaks EnglishGibt es einen Arzt, der Englisch spricht?
Virtual participation

What’s included?

  • Access to all the livestreamed talks
  • Video library of the recorded talks during the event and for two weeks afterwards. Please note: at the request of individual speakers, some talks are not recorded.
  • Facility to submit questions

Please note that only on-site participants are able to submit abstracts and participate in the poster sessions.

Event platform

We are using an event platform for this conference. More information about the platform will be shared ahead of the conference.

Guidelines

  • Do not broadcast the conference to unregistered participants.
  • You are encouraged to tweet and post about the event. Tweet unless the speaker specifically says otherwise, but be mindful of unpublished data. 
  • Please do not capture, transmit or redistribute data presented at the meeting.

Additional information can be found in our Code of Conduct.

Health and well-being

It is important to stay healthy and move around, especially when you are attending an event virtually. We have put together a few coffee break stretches and yoga videos in the conference platform for you to enjoy during the event.

How to ask questions

Please use the Q&A function in the event platform.

If you have any other questions, you can go to the Help Desk in the event platform. Click on ‘more’ on the top menu and click Help Desk. 

Time zone

The programme is planned based on the Europe/Berlin time zone, unless otherwise stated. Please take your time zone into consideration when planning your attendance.

Additional information

Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions, COVID-19 safety policy and travelling to EMBL on our Information for Participants page.

COVID-19 related questions

COVID-19 information for on-site events at EMBL Heidelberg can be found in our COVID-19 FAQs.

Sponsors

Media partners

International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Molecular Systems Biology, an EMBO Press Journal

Medinformatics, a Bon View Publishing journal

Open Biology, a Royal Society journal

Sponsorship opportunities

We offer a variety of event sponsoring possibilities, with the flexibility to select a set sponsorship package or combine individual sponsorship options to suit your event budget. Discounts are available for companies sponsoring multiple events at EMBL Heidelberg. View other conferences, or contact sponsorship@embl.de for further information on sponsoring possibilities.

If you are interested in becoming a media partner of this event, please visit our media partnerships webpage.

Warning

EMBL wishes to warn sponsors of EMBL conferences and courses of fraudulent schemes purporting to offer sponsorship opportunities on behalf of EMBL or affiliated with EMBL officials. One current scam campaign of which we are aware is conducted using the name ‘Judy Eastman’ (judy@gopcontact.a2hosted.com) and entails approaches to sponsors offering sponsorship opportunities on EMBL’s behalf. Please be kindly advised that all relevant communication regarding sponsorship of EMBL conferences, symposia and courses is handled by EMBL directly and is sent from an official EMBL account. EMBL does not work with any external providers on sponsorship acquisition.

Please also note that:

  • EMBL never provides attendee lists for purchase. Any offers of such are fraudulent.
  • EMBL will never call or email you to ask for your credit card details or to request a payment.
  • All payments are on invoice.

Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on behalf of EMBL should be reported to EMBL at the following email address sponsorship@embl.de.

Media kit

Want to let others know you’re attending this event? Take a look at our shareable media and feel free to use them in your social media channels or presentations.

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Date: 19 - 22 Nov 2024

Location: EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual

Venue: EMBL Advanced Training Centre


Deadline(s):

Abstract submission: 27 Aug 2024

Registration (On-site): 8 Oct 2024

Registration (Virtual): 12 Nov 2024


Organisers:

  • Lacramioara Bintu
    Stanford University, USA
    • Hartland Jackson
      Lunenfeld–Tanenbaum Research Institute, Canada
      • Arnaud Krebs
        EMBL HEIDELBERG, GERMANY

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